This is the 35 USC 371 national stage of International Application PCT/AU98/00435, filed on Jun. 9, 1998, which designated the United States of America.
This invention relates to an apparatus and/or a process for producing liquid fertiliser from one or more decomposable nutrient containing organic materials such as manure, and in particular but not limited the apparatus and/or process is adapted to produce the liquid fertiliser in situ in a garden or a plantation field.
1. Background of the Invention
Gardening, agricultural cultivation, horticultural cultivation and the like require a large amount of fertilisers for promoting satisfactory growth in plants or vegetation. The fertilisers are intended for supplementing nutrients which in substantial amounts are being constantly removed from soil by repeated crops of the plants or vegetation.
Chemical fertilisers and organic fertilisers presently available are costly to purchase. They must also be transported to sites for distribution to the plants or vegetation. Transportation adds further costs to the gardens and the farmers.
Where the fertilisers are in a solid form they must be applied to the soil and then watered in order to make their nutrients available to the plants or vegetation. Where the fertilisers are in a concentrated liquid form they must be diluted with water before applying to the plants or vegetation. These fertilisers are therefore time and labour intensive.
2. Object of the Invention
An object of the invention is to alleviate or to at least reduce to a certain level one or more of the above prior art disadvantages.
In one aspect the present invention resides in a process for producing liquid fertiliser, the process comprising the steps of:
(a) loading one or a mixture of decomposable nutrient containing organic materials, in a container having a plurality of vents in at least one wall thereof for nutrients of the organic material or materials to pass there through and an air outlet means positioned therein;
(b) submerging the container in a tank of water or a liquid which is predominantly water;
(c) applying pressurised air to said air outlet means for agitating and aerating the organic material or materials in order to cause aerobic decomposition and to extract a substantial amount of the nutrients therefrom; and
(d) removing from the tank the container with solids for the substantially decomposed organic material or materials therein;
wherein the extracted nutrients passing through the vents and together with the water or
liquid forming the liquid fertiliser.
In preference, the process of the present invention includes a further step of adding to the water or liquid one or a combination of two or more additives for keeping odour to a minimum whilst improving nutrient extraction capacity and/or causing the extracted nutrients to be more readily absorbed by the plants or vegetation . Preferably the one additive or the combination is selected from a microbial activator, a biological accelerator and an enzyme catalyst.
Desirably, the process of the present invention includes another further step of delivering the liquid fertiliser to the plants of vegetation.
In a second aspect the present invention resides in an apparatus for producing liquid fertiliser from one or a mixture of decomposable nutrient containing organic materials. The apparatus comprises a container having a plurality of vents in at least one wall thereof for nutrients of the organic material or materials to pass therethrough and an air outlet means fixed therein; a pressure generating means for causing pressurised air to flow through the air outlet means and at least one tank into which the container can be placed. In use the at least one tank is filled with water or a liquid which is predominantly water and the container loaded with the organic material or materials is submerged in the water or liquid so that the pressurised air can agitate and aerate the organic material or materials in order to cause aerobic decomposition and to extract a substantial amount of the nutrients for forming the liquid fertiliser.
The organic material or materials can be any animal and/or poultry manure.
Typically the invention includes at least one further tank filled with water or a liquid which is predominantly water into which the container can be submerged following the removing step (d) and thereafter repeating the steps (c) to (d).
Typically, the air outlet means is a perforated pipe positioned at or adjacent to the bottom of the container.
The air outlet means may have a connector to which a hose from a pump can be connected. This connector can be in the form of a commercially available xe2x80x9ccam-lockxe2x80x9d quick release pipe fitting.
The air outlet means may also have a removable end cap so that upon removal the air outlet means can be cleaned by pressurised air or water.
The vents in the at least one wall of the container may have a diameter ranging from 0.5 to 5 mm, but 1.5 mm is preferred.
The container is advantageously provided with a hatch door which can be opened for loading and unloading the organic material or materials. A locking arrangement may be provided for locking the hatch door in place in order to prevent solids of the organic material or materials from escaping into the liquid fertiliser.
A support frame may be positioned over the at least one tank for supporting the container while submerged in the tank.
A conveying means such as a rolling gantry can be arranged so that the container can be selectively moved between a loading station for loading the organic material or materials, at least one decomposing station for decomposing the organic material or materials to form the liquid fertiliser and an unloading station for unloading the substantially decomposed organic material or materials.
A winch arrangement is typically provided for positioning the container into and out of the at least one tank.
Desirably the container is pivotally supported so that it can be pivotally moved to an emptying position for emptying the substantially decomposed organic material or materials.
The unloaded organic material or materials are desirably subject to a composting process for use as potting medium or mulch.
Typically the plants or vegetation are fruit trees, vines or vegetables.